I think I’d like to

by | Dec 12, 2001 | Imported Entry

I think I’d like to bitch and moan for a moment if you don’t mind. You see, I made the mistake of going to the mall today. The mall is not my main topic of gripe but merely one of the many parts of this afternoon that made it aggravating. But its as good of a place to start as any.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a large number of cars. This isn’t very odd for the holidays so I didn’t mind. I’m not one of those people that get bent out of shape when they can’t find a parking spot up front. As I pulled into a section of the lot it became clean that this wasn’t simply “holiday shoppers” or was it? The were no, and I repeat NO, parking spaces. Now, I’ve worked at a mall, for two years, and I’ve seen my share of full parking lots. But even those spaces way out in the extra lot, a mile away, were taken. I couldn’t understand it. It was 1:30 on a Wednesday afternoon. Who were these people and why were they not at work? Didn’t these people have jobs? Eventually finding a spot in the auxiliary lot, and after I walked the mile or so to the mall, I realized that there wasn’t actually anything going on. This was simply the amount of people that felt the need to go shopping at 1:30 on a Wednesday. So, I’m looking around the mall, trying to figure out what type of people would be here on a day and time like this. Several possibilities popped into my head: perhaps people shopping on their lunch break… no, wait, it’s nearly 2, lunch breaks would be over. Maybe it’s all college kids who don’t have school… nope, no college kids around, I guess I’m the only one with a whacky schedule. What about house-wives and husbands who are staying home with the kids? Nope. Not to many kids around. Infact, there wasn’t a discernable reason WHY these people were there. Besides that fact that Christmas is approaching and they needed to go shop… but why would people actually take the day off work to go to the mall. It was the only thing that made sense. Ok, so there were a lot of people. Moving on.

The main reason I was at the mall was to have a watch band resized, so I headed towards the watch store at the other end. There wasn’t anyone in line so I was able to be helped quickly. I took a moment to look around at watches that I might possibly enjoy more than the one I got and I found a nice Kenneth Cole one that was more my “style”. As the lady was getting it out of the case for me, this little asian guy runs up and starts complaining a mile a minute in a foreign language about the watch in his hand. The clerk says nicely “Sir, I’ll be with you in a moment”. Very unsatisfied with this answer, he starts muttering what could only be obscenities and saying “No, you help now!” “No, I’ll help you in a minute” says the clerk, “I’m helping this gentleman.” “Forget about him, me more important” he replies. This makes me dislike this gentleman, mostly for the way he said it and glared at me as he did. At this point I’ve decided to get the watch and tell the clerk to do the exchange. Realizing he’s being ignored the guy starts back in and says “Hey, I told you…” This is where I cut him off. “Listen you little shit, wait your god-damn turn or I’m gonna stick my foot up your ass” I shoot back across the counter. He looks at me very angry and decides not to say anything else. The clerk has finished ringing up the watch and I’m on my way. Happy that I’ve gotten a watch and won a small piece of dignity for mall employees everywhere. Store clerks don’t deserve to be treated like that, I should know. I didn’t really care, I was almost done, but if it’s one thing I can’t stand its pain in the ass customers. You have no idea what it’s like until you’ve worked retail. All the idiots you may have worked with in an office can’t begin to compare with idiots who feel the need to shop in your store. Then their attitude on top of that makes them completely aggravating, somehow believing that they’re always right and that we need to bow to their wishes.

“The customer is always an asshole” – Ben Afleck, Mallrats

So, after that I head home, or at least begin to. Now, you’d have to know the mall in question to understand this part, but I’ll do my best. This mall has three major entrance/exit ramps. One leading to the highway and two to the main drag of Nashua. The one leading to the highway has a light at the top with a very short cycle. So, when you have two million shoppers, trying to “avoid” traffic and get right on the highway, it creates traffic all its own. I see this from the parking lot before I begin to leave. So, figuring I don’t want to get stuck in that I use one of the other exits, drive 10 feet and get on the highway at the normal exit. Now, was that so hard? Really. Does everyone need to be a lemming and block traffic for miles just because they want to take the “quick” route. Well, apparently no one understands that when EVERYONE takes the quick route, it’s not quick anymore. And I say “HA” to them.

So, towards home I go. Back through Merrimack and Amherst, the only two cities in the area that think MORE traffic lights will solve their traffic problems. Oi. Only to be followed for 5 miles by a red Audi TT who thinks he owns the road. I’m in the right hand lane mind you, and if he wanted to go around he, he certainly could have. He’s back there, flashing his lights, honking his horn, and the whole time the left hand lane is clear. I didn’t get it. He wasn’t trying to tell me I had a light out or anything because he was visibly angry. So, what did I do? I slowed down. I was going a reasonable 45 in a 40. Now, instead, he had pushed his luck and now I was going to go 40. He didn’t like this yet he still didn’t switch lanes. He eventually turned off onto another road, the whole time riding my bumper and honking his horn. Perhaps he was mentally unstable or maybe he just liked the sound of his own horn, but either way for all it counts, I didn’t actually do anything to get him angry in the first place. Maybe he thought I was someone else. Who knows. It certainly didn’t do anything for my disposition though.

Never the less. I’m home and I’m happy. Why? Because in 7 days I’ll be in TX, because I got a spiffy new watch and because the whole time I was in the car I was listening to Paul Van Dyk’s newest album The Politics of Dancing. This double CD set is the best I’ve heard in years. I’ve been blessed by the techno gods and I’ve been given two great albums in the past few days. PVD and of course Deep Dish: Moscow. Deep Dish is good, but PVD is freaking amazing. In my mind there’s a tie between him and Sasha and Diggers for the greatest techno artists ever to grace the planet. I’ve seen them both live and I think that the S&D set was better, slightly, and only because of the technical circumstances behind the PVD show. Either way, he’s an amazing artist and this CD is no exception. If you don’t have it, get it. Even if you only slightly like techno, get this CD. If you’re in the mood for something that gets your spirits up and makes you unable to sit still, this would be it.

Ok, so it’s now about 3 and I don’t have anything to do this afternoon. Maybe I’ll go see Ocean’s 11 tonight. We’ll see. Ok, I’m off. Later.

Current Mood: Happy… but not.
Current Music: iio – rapture

Briefly. Not much of anything

by | Dec 12, 2001 | Imported Entry

Briefly. Not much of anything going on. I had lunch with Chip and Dave. It?s always good to hangout with friends like that. I should do it more often. I was also supposed to go to the mall with Chip but something went wrong during a server upgrade at work and he needed to stay and fix it. Oh well. So, I hung out here. I actually came across a really really great TV show. Bravo has a series called simply “Biography”, not to be confused with A&E?s Biography. Anyway. This episode was on the magicians Penn and Teller. Now, I love these guys and have always wanted to see them live, I hear the show is amazing, and after watching this special that certainly hasn?t changed. These guys are cool. There was even a section about Penn?s custom, self-designed house. All I can say is that I need a house like that. I has something like 30 secret rooms and twice that in “trick” features. Things like windows hidden behind paintings or moveable walls that reveal additional space in a room. Anyway, they?re definitely cool guys and the episode is definitely worth checking out. So, if you have Bravo in your local cable package, look for it in reruns.

So, with only 8 days until I leave for TX, I don?t really have much to do. I?d like to get a haircut, but I don?t care either way. I?d also like to see Oceans 11. Everyone?s saying its really cool and I?d like the chance to see it before I go. I?d also like to see Lord of the Rings, but I?ll be in flight when it opens. Oh well. I guess I?ll see it when I get back. I would see it when I?m on “vacation” but you can see a movie anytime so why spend valuable vacation hours doing that when you could be enjoying wherever you are, which in my case would be TX and CO.

Ok, I?m sleepy. Time for bed. Later

Hey kids. Namuch going on

by | Dec 11, 2001 | Imported Entry

Hey kids. Namuch going on in the world ‘o Matt. I stopped by my uncles last night and they gave me my birthday gift. It was a very nice watch. Then they gave me the receipt and said “go exchange it because we didn’t know what your “style” was.” So, I’ll probably do that today. Besides that, I really don’t have anything planned. Milford is a very borring place when no one’s around to do stuff. People are either working or still not on break from school. Oh well. More “me” time I suppose. I think I’ll go buy another book at B&N. It’ll be my third this break. I’ve already finished off The Acid House by Irvine Welsh and A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. So whatever I’ll get will make three. I read when I’m bored, which is a good habit I suppose. Better than watching the idiot box for hours on end. Ok. Shower, food and clothes time. Later.